Layers Panel Test

Self administered test on the layers panel

Question 1.  For an adjustment layer to affect an image layer, the adjustment layer has to be

1. Linked to the image layer
2. Clipped masked to the image layer
3. Above the image layer
4. Visible

1. Answer
   1. C and D are the correct answers.  Photoshop processes layers bottom up.  It takes the bottommost visible layer and applies the next visible layer to it.  It then continues upward applying the visible layers in turn until it reaches the top of the layers panel.  When finished, this is what we see in the document window.  Any given layer is affected by the visible layers above it, not the layers below it.  As a photographic analogy, think of adjustment layers as filters on a lens.  Since lens filters are in front (on top of) the film or sensor, they affect the image the film/sensor is able to capture.  Anything behind (below) the film/sensor will not affect the image.
      
      Linking layers allows us to lock the position of one layer's contents to the contents of other layers.  When layers are linked, when we move the contents of one linked layer, the contents of the other linked layers will be automatically moved also.
      
      If we clip mask an adjustment layer to an image layer, we confine the adjustment to the single image layer.  Without the clip mask, the adjustment layer will affect all layers beneath it.  A clip mask is not required when using adjustment layers.  It is used when we want to restrict the layers to be affected.

Question 2.  We can alter how layers affect each other by

1. Changing their vertical order in the Layers panel
2. Making layers visible or hidden
3. Creating a clipping mask between layers
4. Applying a mask to an adjustment layer

1. Answer
   1. All of them.  Any one of these actions will affect how other layers are processed by Photoshop.

Question 3.  We can change how a particular visible layer affects the final image by

1. Locking the layer
2. Changing the layer's blending mode
3. Linking the layer to the layers above it
4. Turning the Background default layer into a normal image layer

1. Answer
   1. B is the correct answer.  Changing a layer's blending mode changes how Photoshop processes the layer's contents.  This in turn affects how the image is portrayed in the document window.  Locking a layer does not change the appearance of the layer.  Linking layers, by itself, does not change the appearance of any of the linked layers.  Turning the Background default layer into a normal image layer does not change the appearance of the Background layer.

Question 4.  True or False, to copy a layer from one Photoshop document to another, make the layer active in the source document, then tile the two documents so both are visible within Photoshop.  After tiling, if the source document is on top, press Ctrl + Alt + PageDown (Command + Option + PageDown) to copy the layer to the target document underneath.  If the target document is on top, Ctrl + Alt + PageUp (Command + Option + PageUp) to copy the layer from the source document underneath.

1. Answer
   1. False.  To copy a layer from one Photoshop document to another, tile the two documents so both are visible within Photoshop.  Make the source document the active document.  Make the source layer the active layer.  Shift click and drag the layer from the Layers panel to the target document window.  If after the copy, the layer is not in the desired position in the target document's Layers panel, reposition the layer by clicking and dragging the layer to the desired location.